Purple
by CaseyRachel88
Summary: Aaron was blue, Spencer was red, and together, they were purple. Established Hotch/Reid relationship. Written for the IKY'dU Hotch/Reid Writing Challenge: Round #3.


The IKY'dU Hotch/Reid Writing Challenge: Round #3 Entry

Title: Purple

Pen name: CaseyRachel88

Genre: Romance

Rating: K+

Prompt: Purple

Summary: Aaron was blue, Spencer was red, and together, they were purple.

Disclaimer: They're not mine, of course. Not even a sociopath is that crazy. :-) Information regarding colors is partly from an art class I took ages ago, and internet research. Oh, and color meanings are different depending on where you live and your source of information.

**A/N**: I'm not really sure if I did this prompt correctly, but I had fun doing it! Any and all feedback is appreciated – feel free to point out any errors, tell me what does and doesn't work, etc. :-) I hope you enjoy!

* * *

"_The soul is dyed the color of its thoughts."_

_Heraclitus_

If Spencer Reid were asked to describe his lover in three words, he would say, "The color blue."

Most would see that response as being odd, or the derivative of a misunderstood question; while it might be odd, Reid understood the question perfectly. And he knew that nothing could summarize Aaron Hotchner better than the color blue.

_Blue represents confidence_, Spencer mused. Aaron was nothing if not a confident man.

His confidence in himself was why he was such a gifted profiler, able to talk down gun-wielding UnSubs on the verge of starting their End Game. His confidence in his team had been the saving grace that had kept them from being dismantled by Strauss. His confidence in their relationship kept them steady when Spencer was ready to give up.

Beyond that, Aaron fit other aspects of the color's current definitions. If Spencer remembered correctly – and thanks to his eidetic memory, he was certain he did – the color blue was considered to be a calming color, representing unity and stability.

All of it fit Hotch perfectly.

_He can calm anyone._ The thought sprang to Spencer's mind as he processed how many times he had witnessed Aaron calming a hysterical victim, or playing into an UnSub's delusion to keep the situation as relaxed as possible. No matter if it was angry officers, critical civilians or affronted officials, Aaron always had a handle on it. Even when it was impossible to completely defuse the situation, the profiler was able to make the confrontation go over more smoothly, simply by being present. _People feel safe with him, _the young man thought, _and they calm because they instinctively trust him to resolve the situation._

That trust wasn't misplaced, either. With Aaron as Unit Chief, the profiling team had been turned into a sort of patchwork family. While partly due to the sheer number of hours spent together in limited quarters, it wasn't the only reason for their unusual closeness. After all, other BAU teams had similar schedules, and none could claim the closeness the Hotchner team shared. Under his direction, they had unified into a force that rivaled some of the most twisted minds on the planet – and beat them. More so, his ability to unify extended to various police departments, other unit chiefs within the FBI, and even those who knew him on a non-professional level. Something about Aaron Hotchner compelled others to be intensely loyal to him.

It made sense, of course. Hotch was an anchor for them: stability could be Aaron's middle name, for how well he modeled it. He didn't change his mind on a whim and he kept his focus on the goal. If a case hit too close to home, Hotch could be counted on to check in with each team member, ensuring that they were alright and offering a listening ear should they desire it. For Spencer, Aaron was the glue that held their relationship together when life intended to tear it apart.

Especially in aspects of their relationship, Aaron also made sure that spontaneity was measured out in equal parts with that stability. The first time Aaron had told Reid that he loved him, the words had come out of the blue, unplanned and better than anything the younger profiler could have imagined. The night had been simple, just eating and talking and laughing when suddenly Aaron announced, "Spencer Reid, I love you, and I always will."

Stars had exploded in Spencer's mind as he processed those unexpected words spilled from his lover's lips. Spontaneous with the announcement, and yet eternally stable with the accompanied promise.

Hotch later told him the statement had bypassed his brain, and shot from his heart to his mouth without even thinking it. Despite Reid knowing the scientific impossibilities of the brain being disengaged from Aaron's emotions, the whispered "I love you, Spencer" – which Aaron had repeated every few minutes for the entire night – had warmed his heart in ways that made him want to kiss Aaron breathless.

And he had.

That night had been amazing, and wonderful and … blue.

* * *

If Aaron Hotchner were to pick the color that best represented his lover, he would choose the color red in a heartbeat.

There was no color in the spectrum that matched Spencer Reid the way the color red embodied who he was. It was passion, commitment and independence.

The aspect of his lover Aaron enjoyed watching was Spencer's passion. That passion, that very essence of _red,_ had initially attracted Aaron to Spencer, like a moth entranced by flames. The profiler gave each case, each victim, each crime scene, such commitment and focus it seemed that brief moment in time was the focal point of his entire life.

Of course, that passion was tinged with impulsive behavior. Most would be wary of little red flags going up when a situation was turning bad, but Spencer had no problem pursuing UnSubs without backup and disregarding his own safety. Spencer treated beginning a relationship with his Unit Chief as if it was the best thing to ever occur, rather than focusing on the probability that his career and reputation would be destroyed if their relationship was public knowledge. Impetuous though he was, Aaron loved him all the more for it.

No matter what, Spencer loved with everything he had. Once, when Aaron had commented on that trait, Spencer had responded with mild confusion, "Aaron, what else can I do?" The idea of loving with restraint, with only half his heart, never seemed to never cross his brilliant mind. He proved it every day in the gentle determination he showed his lover, accepting Aaron however he was: afraid, joyful, on the verge of breaking… it made no difference. Spencer's love was consistent and strong.

There were more reasons for selecting red, of course. Red signifies courage, which Spencer had shown from childhood to the present day. Some might disagree on the basis that Reid often stayed behind at police stations, working the geographic profile and combing through evidence, instead of going out in the field or on the crime scene. But the elder profiler knew better. Courage came in various forms: Spencer's was tested each time an ignorant beat cop questioned his abilities based on his age. It was tested when he had needed to pick himself up again after the disappearance of his mentor. It was still being tested, every time he considered the possibility of his mind being taken captive by schizophrenia. Every day, his courage was tested, and every day he proved that he was stronger from it.

But the top reason that Aaron associated his lover with the color red was the color's ability to either stand out, or fade into the background as needed. _It can be arranged with virtually any other color profile, _Aaron mused, _and red manages to enhance the entire color scheme simply by being present._ Red could support surrounding colors by accenting them and enhancing their brilliance. However, red had that inexplicable ability to fully stand alone; there's no need for second color to complete it. It could just as easily be at the center of attention as it could make up part of the background.

_Exactly like Spencer does for us,_ Aaron reflected. The young man complimented them all, his knowledge and abilities rounding out the team and making it complete. As his confidence had grown, his ability to stand completely on his own had developed more fully. No longer was he the kid who struggled to find his place within the team, but now an experienced agent, fully aware of who he was and what he could do. He had no problem falling in with everyone, but he was just as comfortable letting his abilities shine when the situation deemed appropriate.

_That is a gift few have, and even fewer choose to master,_ Aaron thought.

It was just another reason Spencer Reid was wonderful and special and amazing… and more _red_ than anything Aaron had ever known.

* * *

While Hotch and Reid were at work, they complimented the other's color, contrasting and causing the blue to be a little bluer and the red to be a little redder. This happened through simple interactions, just like they did every day with the entire BAU team. But in the evenings spent at home, when the Hotch and Reid personas gave way to Aaron and Spencer, all of that changed. It was then that they didn't make their own separate colors stronger, but instead came together to create something new. It was then that Aaron and Spencer went from being individually blue and red to a combined purple.

Aaron knew that in nature, the color purple was a rarity. For that reason, some saw the color as more exotic, and others as artificial. Few were able to just appreciate it for what it was. His relationship with Spencer seemed to fit in the same category. The love they shared was rare. Once-in-a-lifetime-loves only happened once in a lifetime; Spencer was Aaron's once-in-a-lifetime. While they had their share of struggles as a couple, it never caused that uniqueness, that _purple_, to fade. If anything, it pulled them together and made the color stronger. Like purple stood out apart when surrounded by other colors in nature, the two lovers stood out for the rarity that they were.

Purple took the steadiness of blue and mixed with the vitality of red; it took the strongest of both the cool and warm colors. It represented dignity, self respect, wisdom, and internal strength. Privately, Aaron suspected that he and his lover were similar to that. His controlled calm combined Spencer's liveliness, his own stability with Spencer's passion – it melded together to make something beautiful and exceptional. That was what set them apart.

Spencer could explain in great detail about why purple represented internal-strength and self-awareness, and how wisdom came to be associated with the color. Having grown up with an IQ ranking him as a genius, he was used to being referred to as intelligent. Wisdom, he found, was entirely different. If they had been aware of it, most people would say that his love for Aaron was the opposite of wisdom – foolish and imprudent, claiming the lovers were inviting catastrophe down on their heads by continuing in their relationship.

But Spencer knew better: _true wisdom is figuring out who and what you loved the most, and then fighting like hell to keep it._ It required a delicate combination of personal awareness to know what's worth fighting for, inner-strength to continue that struggle, and wisdom to keep everything in balance. Without Aaron, none of that would be possible. Alone, he was simply red… and he needed blue for equilibrium. He needed Aaron to even him out. It was only together that they were complete.

Alone, Aaron was blue and Spencer was red, but together, they were purple.

"_All the other colors are just colors, but purple seems to have a soul. Purple is not just a noun and an adjective, but also a verb – when you look at it, it's looking back at you."_

_- Uniek Swain_


End file.
